LATEST STORIES
Matariki at BestStart Te Whāriki
This month we celebrated Matariki, the Māori New Year. In the centre, we enjoyed a whānau evening where we got to enjoy spending time with our tamariki’s whānau. We came together to acknowledge people who have passed during the year and to release their spirits to become stars.
It was also a time to reflect, to be thankful to the Gods for the harvest, to feast, and to share the bounty of the harvest with family and friends. To celebrate, we came together and shared a meal of fish and chips with our families and each other. By doing this we were able to relax eat and enjoy each other’s company allowing us to get to know our families more, building strong relationships (whanaungatanga).
The Nursery families planted a mandarin tree that we will be able to harvest on future Matariki celebrations. The planting of a new tree during the Māori New Year signifies new life and new beginnings. It is a great way to highlight the importance of planting and growing kai, which can then be harvested and gathered. I am sure our tamariki will enjoy watching our tree grow and harvesting the many fruits it will produce.
We all had a fantastic celebration that aligned with our centre vision - Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi (With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive)